fedora server for home use??

[Vinny]

hi, i am trying to set up a fedora server for home use. i wanted to make the win boxs access the server for files. to use the server for mails. to be able to log on from a pc or a laptop and keep the same profiles??
should i set up the server differently?? it only has one nic card? it is hanging off a linksys rtr which has dhcp and is connected to a cable modem?
ps i am also searching through the reviews for a step by step how to ?? set up server any ggod links?
regards Vinny :)

[ewdi]

First we need more information, does your ISP give you static IP? are you going to use top level domain?

[Vinny]

ewdi
no my isp does not supply a static ip.its only for home use....

[ewdi]

kind a hard without ising dynamic dns if you want to use it for mails, you can use it for files with IPs though

[Vinny]

ewdi
have you done any config of fedora servers??

[ewdi]

yeah, in fact fedoraforum.org is running on it :)

[pcranger]

You're gonna need another NIC if you want it to share the internet and share services internally.

[Vinny]

pcranger
at the moment i have the linksys rtr to share the internet??

[crackers]

The easiest way to ensure that the Windows boxes will always be able to "find" the Linux server is to give the Linux box a static IP inside your router. (Search the forum here - there's plenty of posts on this particular topic.)

For file-sharing, you'll need to set up the Linux box as a SAMBA server - search again, plus read the SAMBA documentation.

Setting up the Linux box as a mail server is also not all that difficult, but for a relative beginner will take quite a bit of research - I recommend eXtremail ('http://extremail.com') because of it's ease of setup and installation. You'll also need to figure out how to get the e-mail from the external mail servers to your internal one, unless you're acting as your own domain.

I know the above sounds rather vague, but you've asked a very complex question that's not easily answered with a step-by-step guide. Search these forums, search Google - the answers are there...

[Dog-One]

Works like a charm. I'm running FC2 x86_64 as a home LAN server and FC2 on a P3 laptop as a firewall/router between my LAN and ISP. The server machine handles, DHCP, DNS, ups, ntp, ssh, imap, sendmail, ftp, samba, rsync and a couple of FPS game servers. I use DynDNS.org for inbound email--I'm too cheap for a static IP. You'll have to verify if your ISP blocks port 25 or you'll be dead in the water trying this. I'm only using the onboard Ethernet on the server. An Ethernet switch takes care of the LAN.

For setup, just get the basic Fedora Linux running with all services shutdown, then take one service at a time, configure it, turn it on and test--most basic services first, like DHCP, then DNS and so forth. If you want copies of my /etc/sysconfig/* and /etc/*.conf files I can send them to you with an explaination of what I was after when I configured them.

[bryancole]

You can set up simple shared directories/printers accessible from your Win32 boxes easily with samba (& the system-config-samba tool). Each shared resource has one or more users+passwords. Samba shares should automatically appear in the Network Neighborhood (or whatever) of the Win32 boxes. If you want more advanced Win32 networking stuff like 'Domain Controll' you'd better read the detailed Samba docs at

http://us2.samba.org/samba/docs/man/Samba-HOWTO-Collection/index.html

For email, you can setup an IMAP mail-server on your FC2 box and download all your email to this (you can use 'fetchmail' to grab email from a pop3 account and pass it to the local mail system, which in turn passes it to the IMAP server). Users log in to the imap server using any IMAP client (e.g. MS-Outlook, evolution, kmail) etc. and will see their mail folders from wherever they log in (as the folders stay on the server). IMAP is great. FC2 comes with 'Cyrus' imap by default and Cyrus keeps it users and data separate from the local system users.

For a good Cyrus IMAP howto see:
http://www.linuxjournal.com/article.php?sid=6998

Now, you've got 3 (possibly) independent sets of users and passwords:
1) local users
2) Samba account users (i.e. Windows users)
3) IMAP (email) users

Any sane person would want to unify this lot into a single set of users and passwords for all services. The answer here is LDAP. This is a directory server. With all users and their passwords (& potentially lots of other useful stuff) stored in an LDAP directory server, you can have a single resource for Win32 file-sharing, email and local accounts. The catch is that LDAP has a steep learning curve and is confusing to newbies. It's worth it in the end however. You can save yourself some effort and drop things like secure encryption (SSL) with ldap provided you trust your local network. Integrating your Windows/Samba accounts into LDAP is probably the biggest challenge so leave this till last.

For an intro and howto on LDAP see:
http://networking.earthweb.com/netsysm/article.php/3088441

Hopefully your router will take care of all DCHP stuff so every host should be able to talk to every other host by IP address as least. For a small home network, static IPs are easiest, otherwise you must setup another DCHP server. Your cable internet gateway may sit on a dynamic IP but this doesn't matter, as the router should appear as a static IP address from within your network (i.e. it's only dynamic from the outside looking in).

For name resolution (i.e. convert IP addresses to host names), you need a DNS server. I find DNS very confusing, but the system-config-dns makes setting one up easy, if you understand the DNS terminology. Incidentally, you can also use LDAP for hostname resolution on linux hosts and it's much easier than working with DNS IMHO, but I don't know if you can get Win32 boxes to use ldap for this.

[Vinny]

thanks all for your replys.
i was beginning to wonder about my setup... if i was moving in the right direction? i find the info with gaps....get to a point and am not able to move on..so im back to the begining thinking should i set up differently. from the replies it seems that others have been successful... and thanks for the links..thats more of what i need. to complete the gaps..good info with detaill..to help me so that when for instance i miss the - after su to move into root... i know im a newbie..
on reflection in my working role i manage networks for top 100 global companies...ive studied mcp 4 years ago for nt server.. as my role is network support and i have a cert in ccna. so its frustrating for me to slowly move on....
thanks....Vinny

[Vinny]

dog one. thanks i would appreciate a explation and view of your files...Vinny

[pcranger]

pcranger
at the moment i have the linksys rtr to share the internet??

Okay, I suppose I could admit that I can't read.... :rolleyes:

I can also give eXtremail the thumbs up for ease of setup and use :cool:

As others have said, you'll want Samba installed to let the windows clients access the data on the server. If you are going to have any linux clients connecting now or in the future, you might want to install NFS.

If you wanted to be a fancy pants, you could use samba to run as a domain controller with roaming profiles. This means, to a certain extent some of your settings and other bits and bobs will follow you around as you log onto different machines.

As the machine is going to be running as a server you could run it without a GUI to save resources for serving data, this way ensures you learn useful things about the console and the core of linux.
man + info pages are your friend for configuring different services.

If you get stuck then just come and ask questions here and I will try to answer them to the best of my ability as will the rest of the forum members. (I hope ;) )

Good luck!

Simon Harries

[Dog-One]

dog one. thanks i would appreciate a explation and view of your files...Vinny

You're Welcome!

How about we start with DNS and DHCP. These two really allow your server to take control of your network, plus keep track of your machines. I know that Windows XP has dynamic nameserving support, but I found it to be a hassle and it allows the workstations too much control over the LAN. So I use statically defined IPs and machine names. Lets take a look at my dhcpd.conf:

# Custom DHCP server configuration for local LAN

authoritative;

ddns-update-style none;

default-lease-time 3600;
max-lease-time 86400;

option subnet-mask 255.255.255.0;

option domain-name "watts.local";

option time-offset -5; # Eastern Standard Time

option netbios-node-type 1;

subnet 172.23.99.0 netmask 255.255.255.0 {
range dynamic-bootp 172.23.99.10 172.23.99.39;
option routers 172.23.99.254;
option domain-name-servers 172.23.99.222;
option smtp-server 172.23.99.222;
option www-server 172.23.99.222;
option ntp-servers 172.23.99.222;
option netbios-name-servers 172.23.99.222;
}

group {
use-host-decl-names on;

host wap {
hardware ethernet 00:04:5A:0E:0E:94;
fixed-address wap.watts.local;
option host-name "wap";
}

host mtech {
hardware ethernet 00:90:f5:0e:98:7e;
fixed-address mtech.watts.local;
option host-name "mtech";
}

host extensa {
hardware ethernet 00:80:C8:83:6E:C2;
fixed-address extensa.watts.local;
option host-name "extensa";
}

host nick {
hardware ethernet 00:04:61:43:08:46;
fixed-address nick.watts.local;
option host-name "nick";
}

host compaq {
hardware ethernet 00:40:05:23:60:00;
fixed-address compaq.watts.local;
option host-name "compaq";
}

host backup {
hardware ethernet 00:50:DA:B1:87:A2;
fixed-address backup.watts.local;
option host-name "backup";
}

host firewall {
hardware ethernet 00:10:60:25:ba:f8;
fixed-address firewall.watts.local;
option host-name "firewall";
}
}

This file depends upon my local DNS server being able to resolve names to IPs. It tells the machines that are on the LAN using DHCP where things are. It has an open address range for "guest" machines that I haven't defined in my DNS and then lists my 7 machines that will have reserved IPs. Notice that the reserved machines are defined based on their hardware Ethernet address. So if you swap out a NIC or install a new one, you'll have to modify this to have your reserved IPs still work.

When you setup a DHCP server, remember to always use a static IP on that server. Don't let your router do it.

When you're ready, will move on to DNS...

[AwPhuch]

hi, i am trying to set up a fedora server for home use. i wanted to make the win boxs access the server for files. to use the server for mails. to be able to log on from a pc or a laptop and keep the same profiles??
should i set up the server differently?? it only has one nic card? it is hanging off a linksys rtr which has dhcp and is connected to a cable modem?
ps i am also searching through the reviews for a step by step how to ?? set up server any ggod links?
regards Vinny :)

May I suggest a website that will help any/all novice linux users with thier home networking

LINUX HOME NETWORKING (http://www.linuxhomenetworking.com/)

I know its alot of reading but it helps out with all kinds of problems...

Hope this helps :)

Brian
AwPhuch

[Vinny]

dog one thanks for your help. i have configured my server to work taking as you say. one step at a time. i have configured for ease dhcp from my linksys rtr and am working on samba. to share directiories. so far so good. one step at a time....
regards Vinny
ps thanks also to the other posts...

[Dog-One]

Do save your config files. The great thing about Linux is that you can save most all of your config files to a Zip disk and when you upgrade or build a new server, you'll have working examples to migrate from. Shall I say, the first Linux server is the hard one, the rest are much easier (and quicker than building a new server for Windows). :)

[crackers]

To expand a bit on Dog's excellent advice: never copy an old config over the top of a "new" one. Many FOSS projects have a habit of changing not only default settings, but new parameters are added, older one's deleted and sometimes even the format changes.

Use the old ones on the backup to compare against new ones and modify (making a backup first) the newer config. This way you won't totally hose a critical part of your system.

[Dog-One]

Thanks crackers! That's dead on. I usually open the old file and new file in seperate windows and CnP appropiate entries from the old to the new. I always try to use as much of the new file's defaults as possible. If I see some default that didn't exist in the old file, time to hit the man page to see what's new and improved.

Now with a new install that's running the same version of FC Linux as my original config files, I do just copy right over the top unless it's hardware stuff that may be different.

In any event, hang on to those files unless you just like to see how good your memory is. Now what was I trying to say..? :)

[Vinny]

thanks crackers and dog one.
i am going to install a zip disc in the server. hopefully it will install ok. then on to saving config files. is it a set of simple commands? easy enough to give a few brief details?
Vinny

[crackers]

Drag and drop with Nautilus or Konqueror should work just fine, or use cp from the command-line.

[Vinny]

sometimes its best to write things down. i agreed with your advice crackers and dog one but by the time i got round to playing with samba... forgot to make a copy. i have adapted the samba files and is not working correctly. anyone out there know or can give me a hint on how to change??
below is the changes. i gues s that uknown parameter is incorrect?
regards Vinny

[root@localhost root]# testparm
Load smb config files from /etc/samba/smb.conf
Unknown parameter encountered: "client code page"
Ignoring unknown parameter "client code page"
Unknown parameter encountered: "character set"
Ignoring unknown parameter "character set"
Unknown parameter encountered: "domain admin group"
Ignoring unknown parameter "domain admin group"
Unknown parameter encountered: "domain admin users"
Ignoring unknown parameter "domain admin users"
Processing section "[homes]"
Processing section "[netlogon]"
Processing section "[Profiles]"
Processing section "[printers]"
Processing section "[netlogon]"
Processing section "[data]"
Server's Role (logon server) conflicts with share-level security
Loaded services file OK.
Server role: ROLE_STANDALONE
Press enter to see a dump of your service definitions

[Dog-One]

Here's a clip of my config you can use as an example# Samba config file created using SWAT
# from mtech.local (172.23.99.50)
# Date: 2004/08/06 11:38:19

# Global parameters
[global]
workgroup = WORKGROUP
server string = Linux Samba Server
lanman auth = No
client NTLMv2 auth = Yes
client lanman auth = No
client plaintext auth = No
log level = 1
log file = /var/log/samba/%m.log
smb ports = 445
min protocol = NT1
disable netbios = Yes
name resolve order = host bcast
server signing = auto
socket options = TCP_NODELAY SO_RCVBUF=8192 SO_SNDBUF=8192
hostname lookups = Yes
load printers = No
show add printer wizard = No
os level = 63
lm announce = No
preferred master = Yes
domain master = Yes
ldap ssl = no
preload = homes tmp
idmap uid = 16777216-33554431
idmap gid = 16777216-33554431
csc policy = disable
wide links = No

[homes]
comment = Home Directories
read only = No
browseable = No

[printers]
comment = All Printers
path = /var/spool/samba
printable = Yes
browseable = No

[tmp]
comment = Temp Files
path = /tmp
read only = No
create mask = 0775
directory mask = 0775
guest ok = Yes
max connections = 10

[download]
comment = Download Files Area
path = /var/ftp/pub
read only = No
create mask = 0777
directory mask = 0777
inherit permissions = Yes
guest ok = Yes

[stuff]
comment = Stuff from God Knows Where
path = /stuff
read only = No
create mask = 0777
directory mask = 0777
inherit permissions = Yes
guest ok = YesI'm running samba version 3.0.7-2.FC2 and this config is known to work with WinXP, but it may not work with anything less than XP.

HTH

[Vinny]

thanks dog one. if i was to try and copy config? paste into mine and adapt names of server..etc i guess it would work?
i have dhcp running from my linksys rtr and have win xp boxs seeking dhcp.
although i rember you using mac add to match with server?
regards Vinny

[Dog-One]

thanks dog one. if i was to try and copy config? paste into mine and adapt names of server..etc i guess it would work?
i have dhcp running from my linksys rtr and have win xp boxs seeking dhcp.
although i rember you using mac add to match with server?
regards VinnyThe global stuff should be okay, the specific directories and permissions you'll want to adjust to your taste. From my WinXP boxes I just use My Network Places to add connections using a path like //fedora64/download, which you could manually type in from any Explorer window. In some cases you'll want to use a drive letter but most applications these days will handle a network path.

If you notice my config, there is an entry name resolve order = host bcast, which means that the clients will first try DNS then issue a broadcast message. Since I have all my clients mapped statically using Linux as the DHCP server, I know their address and a lookup is faster via DNS than a broadcast. In your case, you may just want to have bcast and not worry about DNS at all.

[stevewabc]

This is the coolest post I have seen !!!! Helps me alot Thanks alot I hope to start my setup next week :) the only thing I would like to add to this is Im looking to me able to do is work on my data base from my laptop any were I am in the usa and be able to print what ever im working on at home by means of the internet...

[stevewabc]

WOW my typing sucked I hope you got the point :D

[Vinny]

steve sure... its no easy task but... try to take notes and learn from my mistakes...
regards Vinny